Shiftable index for cocks.



H. MUELLER.

SHIFTABLE INDEX FOB COCKS.

APPLICATION FILED 1111:1124, 1907.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

I76. 6'. kfiwfiwae min/arse Reverse [N VE/VTOR: 7 @W Attorney! WITNESSES.

{UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY MUELLER, F DECATUR, ILLINOIS, A SSIGNOR TO ii. MUELLER MANUFACTURING COMPANY,-OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SHIFTABLE INDEX FOR COCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I HENRY MUELLER, a

v citizen of the United gtates, and resident of Decatur, Macon county, State of Illinois, have invented certain newand useful Im pro'vements in Shiftable Indexes for Cocks; and'my preferred manner at car 'ng out the invention is set forth in the fdllbwing full, clear and exact description, terminating with claimsparticularly specifyin the novelt -1Th18 invention lsembodie in a cock flavmg' a two part separable housi g or holder Igor angiiidex member inscribed with different ..md1cations,-spc'h as 'yvords or sighs;.up'on, its .15' opposite or diflerent.faoes. Onepart of the .houslngl'iam the nature of 'e or frame which olds said ineinber in by em-. ,b racing'1ts{edge, without coveringtlie indica tion-on-th'e eirposedl face of said member; and inf-the words ,or signs on :the member are each descriptive n-suggestive of a use for which .the cock infatuated. The indexis changed by sepaiatinggt e parts offthe housing, re-

7 .VQljSiIlg or shifting the spsition of the membar, cadre-connecting s ans of the houswith them'ember therein and a different ,in moone.

The invent on is exemplified in the structure hereinafter describe and it is defined aomtheap dedclaims.

, Inthe rawings forming part of this specification, I is a planof afcompression basin cock ving a cross handle in which my invention is'embodied. jFigu2 i s a side elevation of the compression cock with the handle thereof in central Vertical section. 3 is a side elevation of a. 'l'ight-and-left el: with my index member shown in section at the upper end thereof; 40.; Fig. {is a plan view oij alzcohvexo-conVex index, membonshowingthe face thereof 0 posite-that showninFigs 1:. a Fig. 5 is an e evationoifthe obverse andlreverse of a spherical member haiying diiierent indications on its 4,5;op osite sides. Fig. 6. is an elevation of a sp erical. member with numerous indicab19118, thereon. Fig. 7, shows a buttonshaped member whose different indications are-one positeface. Fig. 8 is'ei section ofa p0 modifie form of the housing adapted to nearly any form: of member set forth herein.- a. r ygonalform being shown in'this view, he'bod of the cock is shown at 1, at 2 in Fig.-3*is.-sllown a slightly concaved and ex- ,and the inner diameter of the ring 3, and the 'the she. .interna y threaded. The separable part of ternally threaded index support 01' seat, the index member is shown at 5, and at 34 i shown the rim or frame that co-acts with th.. support 2 to form the holder or housing, for the member. The separable part of the housing comprises the ring 3 which is internally threaded to screw onto the support 2, and the inward-extending flange 4 on the upper ed e. of the ring. The member has about t e same diameter as the support 2 flange 4 extends far enough over the edge of the member to hold it in place while leaving exposed the word or sign indicative of the use of the cock: 7

In applyin the shiftable index member to a cross-ban e, the upper surface of the handle 6 is circularly grooved to outline the sup orting surface or seat7 forthe member 5, tl e seat is preferably shaped to conform to of the member, and the groove is the-housing com rises a ring 8 which is externally threads to engage the threads of the grooves, and an inward-extending flange I M 9which embraces the edge or the member.

' The two illustrations of the invention show certain modifications of the separablehousing idea, and other modifications will. doubtless be suggested thereby. The gist o! 1 the idea is to rovide the cock with a separable housing w ich may be opened to permit reversalor shiftingof the member, and the mechanical construction is capable of considerable variation'without departing from the princi is of the invention. The index is 9'1 particularly applicable to cocks that may be used either as right hand cocks or left hand cocks, but it is not confined to this use.

The various illustrations of different forms and markings of the m mber in the different views showcertain mo lfications in this feature of my invention, endothor modifications will doubtless be suggested thereby. The spherical member 51 'm Fig. 5' is here. marked with -H (hot) and G=.(cold) on 16;) directly 0 osite faces. The spherical member 52 in 6 has numerous indications on its different sides, some of which indications may be alike, and in this case the opening in the flan e 4 or 9 will be small enou h toenose on y one indication at a time; t e thickisk button 53 in Fig. 7 is reversely marked on its opposite sides; and the polygonal :It is desirable however, that in ber she'll be round or substahtially round in,

variety of indications on its l'neets as shown.

'ber housing-sue 1 as shown herein.

sary details'for any type of'mel'nber or hanmember 54 in Fig. 8 may be [marked witha t In this view the housing is substantially the same as in Fig. 3, but the seat 20 has a conical supporting surf-ace adapted to almost any shape of member, and the llange 40 has 8. preferably smaller opening through which but one facet may be seen while all others are concealed.

The index member 53 is called herein 11 button because of'its resemblance, in this instance, to a button but it maybe made in various shapesfsor'ne of which are shown and described, and its action has nothing in common with the ordinary function of a button.

plan view (i. e. when looki'n 'down upon the indication whichjs exposed by the'housing) each meincontour so that when screwin r the lin onto the sup ort the flame will rat ier closely embrace t e upper side of the member. ,By this I mean, for instance, that a square member would hardl answer with a screw-mem- The advantages of a shiftable, rotatable; or variable index member when used in con neet'ion with a cock are many. These memhers-are common] made of pottery, suitably inscribed and wit a bi lily glazed or porcelain surface, and the ma (er if given the necesdle needfurnish only one for thecock to which it is tob applied; rather than furnishing a plurality having difi'erent' indications.' The manufacturer of the cock need carry in stock but a single member, instead of a plurality having different indications, and in assembling the parts it is imnmterinl what indication he leaves exposed. So also witlrthe jobber and plumber. Finally, when the cock is set u for use, the vorlunnn without special tools anqnickly adjust the index so that the indication willag'ree with'the sen'ice per-. formed by the cock; and even afterwards, if the user should, for instance, cut olf hot waterand desire the. indication to be coldl, he couldchange the index himself.

In a com :anion .ap plicationfiled-by me W this da en bearingbcrial .Ntnnber 580,582 the im ex member is. bored through in. one direction and held in place between the pn-rts of a separable nutand-bolt--olu1no,so that when the clamp is loosened the index or liutton can berotated on its axis to reusr any 1 oneof several indications with which it is provided on its perimeter to confront the user. In the present case the index member is rotutablein but one )lane if it be flat or flattened, but maybe adjusted or turned on almost any axis if it be spherical or nearly so. In each instance I. have shown and described my index as used in connectionwith a cock where its indications are usually hot or colt or the like, but I do not mean to limit the use of the invention to this art nor confine the indications'to those words.

\Vhat is claimed as new is:

l. The combination with a cock, and a shiftable index member having different words or signs on its different faces ;'of a sepurnblehousing for the member, carried by the rock and adapted-to expose but one indication and conceal all others.

2. The combination with a cock, and a reversible irnpeiiomte index member having different words or signs on opposite faces; of a. se arablc-limisingfor the button, carried by t e cool: and adapted to expose but one indication and conceal the other. v

,3. llhe. combinatiori'with a cockfand an imperforht-e, substantially round index memher having indications upon i't's opposite faces; of a sup ort having a conical seat, and a' ring-shaped ousingscrewed'onto the suport to'clamp the member in place and havmg a flange with an opening of 'asi'ze to expose .butone indication.

4'. The combination with a cock, and an imperlorate, polygonal index member'havin indications u on its facets; of :r'support, an a ring-shapm housing screwed onto the suport to clamp the member in place and havmg a flange with an opening of asize to expose but one indication.

5. An imperforate index memberjfor the pur )ose' described, coin risin a substan- ..tial y round body. pr'ovit ed with numerous indications at various points on its surface;

combined with a supporting device adjustiably engaging the exterior or said member l'l'itnessesr PHILIP MUELLER,

elons LrlVADDELL' 

